Infocus: with WOOM founder Alice Acton
Image by Booby Clark
“Bear was born and during my postpartum, I was determined not to experience the same debilitating lows that I did after Storm. Boundaries went up and I protected my inner peace fiercely.”
Alice Acton is the founder of WOOM an online platform and store with a beautiful and purposeful curation of things to help women during pregnancy and postpartum. In an era of consumerism and capitalism, this platform sings differently and when you meet the woman behind the brand, you’ll know why. This space has everything from health tinctures that help rebuild your milk supply to books that challenge your ideologies on what birth should be - a little window into Alice's soul. Softly spoken and empathic, Alice is mother to Storm (9), Bear (2) and step mum to Juno (11). She is a painter, photographer and birth activist. At the gentle age of 22, she entered matrescene, birthing her children in the safety of her four walls. We spoke about parenting, stepping into your true self and her business, WOOM.
Tell us about WOOM. How was it manifested and how it came to be?
Truthfully, it was manifested years ago, just after the birth of my daughter Storm. I have always been passionate about women experiencing a positive birth. At the time, I was headed down a big health rabbit hole and all I wanted was for women to know the deep and intrinsic reasons our birth and postpartum culture is inherently flawed. Life continued to move, years flew by and I was pregnant again, feeling lost, wondering what I would do and who I would be after this baby. Bear was born and during my postpartum, I was determined not to experience the same debilitating lows that I did after Storm. Boundaries went up and I protected my inner peace fiercely, even though the struggles were far more significant this time. One night, deep in the trenches of our breastfeeding woes, I found myself questioning who I was, my values, what I stood for, where my passions lay and what my strengths were. In the wee hours, with nipple shields, milky sheets and bleeding nipples, the idea for WOOM was born. The next day I pitched it to Sean (my partner), and he told me it had to be done with no doubts and full support. He has always backed me 110%. We threw our minuscule amount of savings at it and some spare change my dad loaned. So in fact, without these two men, this women-loving, mother-supporting brand would not have been born. Thanks guys.
Woom hosts an extensive literature section. Tell us about your favourite birth book and what you got out of it.
My favourite is probably Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering by Sarah Buckley. It was my first birth read, loaned by my incredible midwife, Juliana Brennan, in 2012. It truly opened my mind to how birth should and can be. It empowered me in my choices and urged me to tap into my intuition and a feeling in the body. I was in search for evidence-based information to anchor in and help advocate for myself when at the time. It felt like everyone had an unsavoury opinion about my plans. It was the beginning of my spiralling passion for the well-being of women in birth and postpartum. Only answering this question has made me realise just how profound this book was for me. You can see our collection of books here.
You sell this product called The Mother’s Blend, which has become cult-like status. Can you tell us why it’s so good and what it can do in the postpartum period?
Ahh yes, Foraged For You. The wholefood elixir blend we didn’t know we needed. ‘Life changing’ is probably the best way to some it up. Sheridan Austin - the mother and founder of this special product has created the highest potency formula with supreme quality and it shows. One of the hero’s is organic, grass-fed beef liver, it is a vitamin and mineral powerhouse. Gram for gram, it is the most nutrient-dense food for humans on the planet. The Mothers Blend has been designed specifically for the pregnant and postpartum mother to replenish the vital nutrients lost in this season of life and is loaded with fermented foods containing lactobacillus probiotics for immune support, gut health and aiding digestion. The fermentation actually improves the nutrient bioavailability too. The proof is in the pudding, really, try it for yourself.
Three words that describe your first birth.
Calm. Transcendent. Long.
Three words that describe your second birth.
Relaxed. Aware. Simple.
Image of Storm witnessing her mother give birth
You were only 22 with your baby Storm, did you have many people in your village to turn to?
I didn’t. I was very much alone. I was not long in Melbourne, did not have many friends, especially not ones going through this season of life. My family up north, too far to really give their support. My council mother’s group were very judgemental of my home birth and after a few comments made, I decided that environment was not for me. It was a very lonely time. Looking back, I know the lack of support and people I could confide in definitely contributed to my compromised mental health postpartum.
Tell us about the positives of having a big age gap. Did you feel like you had to relearn everything again the second time around?
I don’t think I can drum up a single negative about having a larger age gap between my children. It is absolutely perfect, perfect for us. I never desired two little ones. I remember someone once asking me when I’d be giving Storm a sibling and when I told them that I had no plans to, they told me it was selfish to not deliver her a brother or sister close in age. I’m not easily thrown or persuaded, so shrugged it off. Definitely no relearning in the sense of the age gap, however learning the differences between an entirely new human, and sex is wild.
My favourite things about a wider age gap are:
Having my daughter witness, calm, physiological, hands-off birth.
Little to no squabbles/fighting.
Knowing my daughter was completely ready to move through the emotions of sharing her mother with another.
Extra help with the smallest. It’s basically like having a third parent.
Witnessing the deep love and protective spirit my Storm has for her little brother.
Witnessing the complete adoration my son has for his sisters.
Can you identify any of your unique traits in your kids?
Storm struggles a bit with expressing her feelings and asking for help for fear of burdening others or appearing silly. This is a trait of mine. We have had lots of long chats about it. I’m so grateful for the relationship we have forged together and that she feels safe enough to open up to me in this way. We are working on it together and apart.
What an ideal day looks like for you?
A sleep-in. I love slow mornings. Nineties RnB and hip hop playing, incense burning, cradling my coffee with ashwagandha in my Kristin Olds mug on the couch. Nature play with the smalls and a picnic lunch. Late dinner with my lover or girlfriends somewhere delicious. I love Ascot Food & Wine and Bounty of The Sun right now. Gelato on the way home, probably hazelnut and always in a cup. A long, blistering hot shower, love-making, then sleep.
Three rituals that make you feel good in your body.
Baths - I’m obsessed with the Fat and the Moon soaks at WOOM. Music and candles are essential.
New Moon manifesting - I combine ritual ideas from Cosmic Playground with manifesting technique by Fotini (the incredible greek Psychic).
Silence - The most mundane of all, staying up late after everyone has gone to sleep and laying alone on the couch in silence, allowing my mind to wander, dream and conceptualise. My best ideas come when I give myself space and quiet.
Follow Alice’s journey here.